The present invention relates generally to the field of computer systems and, more particularly, to systems for scheduling process execution to provide optimal performance of the computer system.
The operation of modern computer systems is typically governed by an operating system (OS) software program which essentially acts as an interface between the system resources and hardware and the various applications which make requirements of these resources. Easily recognizable examples of such programs include Microsoft Windows™, UNIX, DOS, VxWorks, and Linux, although numerous additional operating systems have been developed for meeting the specific demands and requirements of various products and devices. In general, operating systems perform the basic tasks which enable software applications to utilize hardware or software resources, such as managing I/O devices, keeping track of files and directories in system memory, and managing the resources which must be shared between the various applications running on the system. Operating systems also generally attempt to ensure that different applications running at the same time do not interfere with each other and that the system is secure from unauthorized use.
Depending upon the requirements of the system in which they are installed, operating systems can take several forms. For example, a multi-user operating system allows two or more users to run programs at the same time. A multiprocessing operating systems supports running a single application across multiple hardware processors (CPUs). A multitasking operating system enables more than one application to run concurrently on the operating system without interference. A multithreading operating system enables different parts of a single application to run concurrently. Real time operating systems (RTOS) execute tasks in a predictable, deterministic period of time. Most modern operating systems attempt to fulfill several of these roles simultaneously, with varying degrees of success.
Unfortunately, the ability of known operating systems to efficiently handle resource allocation and application/hardware performance on embedded systems remains deficient to the requirements of modern systems, particularly embedded systems. Accordingly, there is a need in the art of computer systems for an operating system which enables such efficient and accurate handling of requirements in an embedded system. Further, there is a need for an operating system which can work together with conventional operating systems, thereby enabling conventional systems to work with hardware/software for which it was not specifically designed.